Let's Talk Books

Past, Present, and Future

I’ve been on a bit of a reading jag lately and before I forget the titles, I want to offer some short reviews.

And let me know what you are reading, will ya’?

This spurt started in late May with Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline over the past two decades, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. The authors have received harsh criticism for seemingly kicking Biden while he’s down (he announced a diagnosis of prostate cancer right around the book’s release date), but I think it’s required reading for all voters, especially Democrats.

It’s a cautionary tale about how insulated and clueless White House leadership can be, regardless of their policies, and Democrats can only get stronger by learning from the Biden failure. For example, by denying Democrats the opportunity to hold a short primary to choose their nominee, Biden actually blocked democracy itself.

Next up, was Who Knew? by Barry Diller. I was dying to read this because, during his days with ABC-TV, Diller created the Movie of the Week, which made a huge impact on my teenage self.

Who can forget the tearjerker “Brian’s Song” starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams? There were also lots of stories about teenage angst like “Go Ask Alice,” “Maybe I’ll Come Home in the Spring,” and “Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones.” Even Dick Van Dyke starred in a story about an alcoholic who loses his family and, in real life interviews, explained the parallels with his own addiction.

Sadly, the publicity about Diller’s book has focused on his open discussion of his bisexuality, causing him to cancel most interviews out of frustration. That’s a shame because it is an interesting tale about a neglected kid who literally started in the mail room and worked his way up to become a powerful investor and philanthropist.

Molly Jong-Fast’s book, How to Lose Your Mother, chronicles her “year from hell” dealing with her mother’s dementia, her stepfather’s Parkinson’s Disease, and her husband’s pancreatic cancer, all while trying to be a mother and a content creator.

On the outside, the whole endeavor feels exhausting but Jong-Fast deftly weaves in stories of growing up with a celebrity mother, narcissists everywhere, and the lessons she gained while committing to her own mental health and sobriety.

And the final biography on my list is Jeffrey Seller’s memoir, Theater Kid. What a story. If you loved “Rent,” “Avenue Q", “Hamilton” or any Broadway show, you will love this tale of how a poor gay kid grew up to be one of the theater’s most influential and successful producers. You’ll be rooting for Sellers all the way through.

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And a dose of fiction

I am currently halfway through The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Twice before, I tried to get going on this one, but on a recent long road trip I fired up the audio book and finally got some traction. It’s an epic saga about blacks and Jews trying to co-exist in a single Pennsylvania neighborhood with a murder mystery mixed in.

Laura Lippman’s latest mystery novel, Murder Takes a Vacation is a fun romp, but not much more than that. I expect more darkness or depth from her work, but I welcomed this light refresher. I hope she gets back to more gritty fare as she did with her Tess Monahan mysteries.

Lippman said she was influenced by the work of Anthony Horowitz, including The Magpie Mysteries, which my mom loved watching on Brit Box. So, before I watch, I have loaded the book on my Kindle and I hope to tackle it this weekend.

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Coming Soon

If you haven’t heard, writer E. Jean Carroll has a new book out called Not My Type, a chronicle of her harrowing libel trial against Donald Trump, which she won (TWICE). She is a spitfire and I hope you can find a way to read the recent profile about her in New York Magazine. I have a subscription, but no way to gift you the article, so see if you can find it. This book was written entirely in secret. Amazing.

I am a sucker for The Great Gatsby in all of its forms and the latest retelling is called The Great Mann by Kyra Davis Lurie. It, too, is waiting on my Kindle.

Picked up a copy of The Correspondent by Virginia Evans on my last trip to the bookstore. It’s all about books, readers, and writing letters. Sounds yummy.

Some final notes:

I have also heard good things about Wally Lamb’s new book (Oprah Book Club choice) The River is Waiting.

Long-time Seattle Times movie critic Moira McDonald has written her first novel. It’s called Storybook Ending and centers around three people in a city very similar to Seattle who become connected through secret messages hidden in books. It’s an unapologetic rom-com.

Don’t bother with Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams. I spent most of my time wondering why she put up with so much crap as an early employee at Facebook. But it does give you an inside look at some really awful people in the tech world.

What’s on your reading list?

Do you have any recommendations?

Put them in the comments!

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